Lost Maples and the color controversy

We went to Lost Maples State Natural Area recently after reading about it in the Chronicle’s travel section. I overheard your expressed frustrations that folks had come too early, Chronicle in hand, looking for fabulous fall color. And how they got mad because the color wasn’t as vivid as it was in the Chronicle picture.

I admit at the time, I didn’t step up to defend the article’s author, Louis Parks. I was pretty sure he had written that folks should check first, but I didn’t trust my memory. (Sorry, Louis!). And angry visitors certainly had to be frustrating for the staffers.

We had contacted Lost Maples before going, learned the best time to visit this year and were told the foliage wouldn’t be as spectacular as in past years, given all the heavy rains.

But, folks, it was spectacular enough in that treasured site northwest of San Antonio. The canyon that houses the maples is beautiful, an incredible walk “far from the madding crowd” … even when the color hasn’t peaked. The sun turns the leaves into rainbows of fall color, so beautiful in fact, that a sign leading onto the trail warns visitors “Don’t even think about it.” (taking leaves home, they mean.)

There aren’t a lot of wildflowers in November, but I saw a lot of native asters and some white and yellow bloomers I couldn’t identify. Should have carried my “Geyeta” with me (Wildflowers of Texas by Geyeta Ajilvsgi). I like this one best for fast identification; it lists flowers by color.

Extended walks fan out from the canyon that are a mite more challenging, but the guides are very explicit about what to expect.

If you’d love a nice walk through some beautiful country with lots of meandering streams, don’t wait for next year’s fall display. Visit Lost Maples any time.